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Current Events

Breaking news, policy shifts, enforcement actions, and active fieldwork affecting landrace cannabis populations worldwide.

Current events · Community updates · Research · Conservation

Policy & Legal Developments

New laws, court decisions, regulatory changes affecting landrace cultivation.

Nepal (Gandaki Province) – November 2025 – Provincial assembly introduced Cannabis Cultivation Regulation and Management Bill 2082 legalizing regulated cannabis farming for medicinal and industrial use. Bill bans unlicensed individual cultivation, requiring farmers to join licensed cooperatives or companies. Traditional wild-harvest growers in Gandaki hills face barriers including licensing fees and minimum land requirements. Growing Region: Central Himalayas / Gene Pool: South Asia. Rising Nepal Daily
South Africa – November 2025 – Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) called on police to stop arresting people for private cannabis cultivation, especially Rastafarian community members. Addresses gap between 2018 Constitutional Court ruling (decriminalizing private use/growing) and ongoing enforcement harassment. Affects traditional cultivation of indigenous "dagga" landrace varieties. Growing Region: Eastern Cape / Growing Region: KwaZulu-Natal / Gene Pool: Africa. George Herald
Morocco (Rif Region) – October 2025 – Interior Ministry revoked 111 cannabis cultivation licenses for regulatory non-compliance following thousands of ANRAC inspections. Signals strict enforcement of 2021 cannabis law requiring cooperative structures and crop tracking. Traditional kif growers risk being pushed back into illegality if unable to meet bureaucratic standards. Growing Region: Rif Mountains / Gene Pool: Africa. Bladi
Colombia – October 2025 – Government issued Decree 1138 legalizing domestic sale of medical cannabis flower (previously extract-only). First two years reserved exclusively for micro and small cultivators; simplified licensing process mandated within 5 months. Benefits traditional growers of Punto Rojo, Santa Marta Gold, and other Colombian landrace strains. Gene Pool: Americas. High Times
Kazakhstan – October 14, 2025 – Industrial hemp cultivation legalized with five companies immediately licensed. Regulations cap THC at 0.3% and require government-approved low-THC varieties only. Chu Valley's famed wild cannabis (5–15% THC) remains illegal; traditional users/gatherers receive no legal protection. Gene Pool: Central Asia. Qazinform
Thailand – June 2025 – Reversed 2022 decriminalization, reclassifying cannabis flower as controlled herb requiring doctor's prescription (effective July 2025). Recreational use and unlicensed trade again criminal. Small farmers growing local Thai strains must obtain medical licenses or cease cultivation, threatening diversity of "Thai stick" and other indigenous genetics. Growing Region: Northern Thailand / Growing Region: Northeastern Thailand / Gene Pool: Southeast Asia. Cannabis Science & Tech
Pakistan – February 2024 – Federal ordinance established Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority (CCRA) to license industrial hemp and medical cannabis cultivation (THC under 0.3%). Indigenous high-THC "charas" landrace strains from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas remain illegal; traditional hashish production not decriminalized. Growing Region: Hindu Kush / Gene Pool: South Asia. Al Jazeera / ICBC

Enforcement & Eradication

Active raids, crop destruction, and enforcement actions reported in the field.

Nigeria (Edo State) – November 2025 – National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) destroyed 77.5 hectares of cannabis farms. Commander urged farmland confiscation and grower prosecution. NDLEA rolling out "Alternative Development" program encouraging crop substitution (cassava, maize, cocoa). Directly targets traditional "Igbo" landrace cultivation communities. Gene Pool: Africa. Newswire Law and Events
Eswatini (Swaziland) – September 2025 – Government re-affirmed 1922 colonial-era prohibition with no medical/traditional use provisions. Intensified campaign using drones and aircraft to spray fields with herbicides. Eswatini Cannabis Association protested environmental and constitutional violations. Threatens preservation of "Swazi Gold" landrace genetics. Gene Pool: Africa. Eswatini Daily News
Afghanistan – Ongoing (2022–2025) – Taliban maintains sweeping narcotics ban announced April 2022, officially prohibiting cannabis cultivation and trade. Enforcement inconsistent; hashish continues in shadow markets. Traditional farmers in Balkh, Nangarhar, and Kandahar provinces face crop destruction and harsh penalties. Threatens centuries-old Hindu Kush landrace varieties and hashish culture. Growing Region: Northern Afghanistan / Growing Region: Eastern Afghanistan / Gene Pool: South Asia. Global Initiative

Active Fieldwork & Expeditions

Documentation work and accession collection currently in progress.

Northeast India Survey – November 2024 to January 2025 – Ongoing documentation and accession collection in Growing Area: Darjeeling Foothills and Growing Area: Terai Lowlands including Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong districts. Latest accessions: ZOM-2025-IN-047 through ZOM-2025-IN-053. Preliminary field notes documenting traditional cultivation practices and phenotype variation. Full field report expected February 2025. Gene Pool: South Asia
Northern Thailand Assessment – December 2024 – Survey of cultivation status in Growing Area: Golden Triangle Highlands and Growing Area: Doi Inthanon Complex. Focus on post-decriminalization (and post-recriminalization) changes to traditional growing practices. Assessing impact of June 2025 medical-only reversal on village-level cultivation. Accession collection ongoing. Growing Region: Northern Thailand
Rif Mountains Documentation – Planned Q1 2025 – Partnership documentation project in Growing Region: Rif Mountains following 2021 legalization and 2025 enforcement crackdown. Survey will assess genetic diversity across legal cultivation zones, document traditional kif production methods, and evaluate impact of license revocations on small farmers. Gene Pool: Africa

Updating This Portal

Date all entries using Month-Day-Year or Month-Year format for easy chronological tracking.
Link to hierarchy whenever possible: Growing Region, Growing Area, Appellation, Field, or Accession ID. This connects breaking news to permanent documentation.
Cite sources for external news: media reports, government announcements, court documents, field observations. Include direct URLs where available.
Update related pages when events affect conservation status. If an eradication event changes a Field's status to "Eradications Ongoing," update the Field page and note it here.
Archive regularly by moving entries older than 6 months to Portal:Current Events/Archive 2025 and similar subpages. Keep this portal focused on recent developments.
Distinguish confirmed vs. unconfirmed reports. Use language like "reports indicate," "unconfirmed sources," or "pending verification" when appropriate.

What belongs here? - Policy changes, new laws, court rulings - Enforcement actions, raids, eradication campaigns - Active field expeditions and documentation work - Breaking news affecting landrace populations

What goes elsewhere? - Systematic conservation status assessments → Portal:Conservation - Completed research and field reports → Portal:Research - Wiki updates and community discussions → Community Updates

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